Monday, December 26, 2016

What better way to end a most interesting 2016 that with a look back on 70s gauchos!! Like so many fashions trends of the 70s, gauchos made a brief, albeit intense, appearance on the scene in the mid to late 70s. Why that is the case is a mystery to me. It's as if someone in the industry said "Push gauchos, now!" And the people responded with a big yawn.....

Well nothing to yawn about here! Kathy looks great in these snappy gauchos. Hmm, this pic looks cropped. Well that's true - had to save the rest of it for a post on a different 70s fashion subject!

1977 was the heyday of the gaucho. So much so that they popped up everywhere like here on the cover of this Jewel Catalog (and in corduroy no less!). (1)

And just because gauchos are normally associated with a more Western theme, that didn't mean that the Big Book catalogs couldn't put that special 70s groove-tatsic touch on them. Yep, plaid green gauchos say "Easy Living" to me!

Oh brother, now we have a collision of 70s styles with a gaucho jumpsuit! I didn't know whether to use this pic here or with the next post on jumpsuits! Oh the troubles of a 70s catalog blogger!!

In almost everyone of these pics you'll notice that the gauchos come as part of a set of coordinates. And no two models were better at showing off those snazzy 70s catalog coordinates than Kathy and Karen!

Originally gauchos were cowboys that worked the grasslands in Argentina. (2) That didn't mean that one couldn't accessorize them for either Country Wear or........

Every Wear!!

Even Wards got into the gaucho craze!! The gaucho craze of 1977 certainly didn't catch on like hot pants or the mini skirt, still it peaked right when I was in school, so I had to pretend to like them.

Another cropped pic (gotta save the rest for another post!) Still with an eye-popping yellow gaucho like this, it's hard to see why they didn't catch on??

Okay, okay, in this closeup of Kathy from the previous pic, we're not sure is she is wearing gauchos, but who cares!

footnotes:

(1) Astute readers will notice instead of Visa we had BankAmericard cards, and instead of Master Card we had Master Charge cards!

(2) The term "gaucho" actually refers to the person. The pants that we call gauchos are actually called bombachas.

Back to the fun in 70s Christmas Catalog sleepwear! Hmmm, somehow I can't see how sleeping with a fireman's hat is conducive to a good night's sleep?? I guess this post has officially gone to the dogs!

There was something special about that those old Christmas catalogs that made the season special. They were part of the tradition! Well I guess that about does it for 70s sleepwear...............

Instead of mail order, now we have the internet. And while it's not Sears or JCP, PajamaGram has picked up the slack! Face it, when you first see those PajamaGram commercials in early November, you know that Christmas shopping season has officially begun (delivery guaranteed by Christmas!)

Ahhh, that's the spirit of the 70s in today's styles! Merry Christmas to all my loyal readers and may you be as happy on Christmas morning as this family (maybe they've been into the eggnog a bit too much!!)

Monday, December 12, 2016

His 'n Her coordinated fashions of the 70s were't only for the warm days of summer. No, no, no! Just because the mercury has dropped and Christmas is approaching doesn't mean you had to hang up those coordinated fashions. It fact, just the opposite! It was the season to use cold weather gear to show the world that you had that special bond!

And whether you choose plaid or a plain, the jeans shirts simply HAD to be matching! I mean what else is the point of being a couple?!?

A closeup of Kathy in the his 'n hers matching shirt jackets. All I can say is "That's soooo 70s!"

"I really can't stay....Baby it's cold outside....I've got to go away..." It certainly looks like Karen is trying to get away here. And if you heard this song in the original lyrics you could understand why!!

Sighh, It wouldn't be the 70s with out some earth tone hippie-style threads - in his 'n her matching, naturally.

And here we have two happy couples getting ready to ride a stagecoach? Except that nobody looks too happy. Why the long faces guys?

Still with the sad faces. Say, isn't the guy driving the stagecoach in the excact same pose as the previous pic? Maybe he's frozen in place?!?

That's better! Plenty of happy faces here as Kathy and friends light up the winter gloom with their dazzling smiles!! But what couple couldn't be happy in those groovy matching 70s styles!

Monday, December 5, 2016

Sweaters. Nothing says Christmas time more or is more Chirstmasy than the always popular and always appreciated sweaters. And when those Christmas catalogs hit the mailboxes, you just knew that not only was it toy time for the kiddos, but it was sweater time for everyone!

And naturally any respectable Christmas sweater has to have a campy Christmas theme like the reindeer. However, I noticed that Kathy seemed to go for a more subdues theme....

Not bad, with a hint of Christmas colors....

Hold the jewelry!! What every women REALLY wants for Christmas is a sweater (please note your humble blogger takes no responsibility for any fallout should you happen to follow this advice!)

Hey, this is supposed to be a Christmas themed post on sweaters. These look more appropriate for St. Patrick's Day! And we apparently have a model somewhere that is missing her feet!

Okay, we found the missing model, decked out in a Christmas green sweater!

Okay, okay, this is plainly getting ridiculous! Enough with the green sweaters!!!

And beware what you ask for. Instead of green, now we have pink which Wendy, Kay, and Cay look great, I can't say that pink is exactly in the Christmas spirit.

Okay, okay, okay, I get it. First we went on a green sweater spree and now we've moved on to pink. However, that doesn't exactly look like a sweater to me.

Well apparently they are "lace trimmed" sweaters so I guess they count.

Pam, Karen, and Kathy turn on the cute in these classic sweaters...

More sweaters. Say this is getting a little monotonous. Where is that 70s grooviness that we've come to know and expect from our 70s catalogs?!?

Even the "Sweater-Skirts" are fairly tame. I'm looking for a little more pizzazz.

Not bad, but where's the Christmas spirit? All of these 70s Christmas catalog sweaters seem a little disappointingly lame to me. I guess sweaters are one of those items that are timeless, even in the 70s.

That's a little better. Sweaters that have that special 70s earth tone theme. Still, I expected more 70s zaniness......

Ahhh, that's much, MUCH better. Now I'm in the Christmas mood ready to buy sweaters for the whole family (I can hardly wait to see the surprised look in their eyes on Christmas morning!) All I can say is "That's Sooooo 70s!"